Sweet Surprise: Palace delivers pastry to royal fans

LONDON (AP) — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge offered a sweet surprise to die-hard fans on Tuesday, sending luxury pastries to thank them for camping outside the hospital and awaiting the birth of the royal baby.

Prince William and the former Kate Middleton sent boxes with croissants, apple turnovers and cakes — together with coffee –to the five fans waiting in tents outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London, where the royal couple plan for their second child to be born, Kensington Palace said. Temperatures in London dipped overnight to 45 Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsuis) and the fans like John Loughrey were cold.

“They thought of us,” said Loughrey, 60, as he fought back tears. “I’m really touched.”

Kathy Martin, 50, from London, says the group noticed that the package came wrapped in pink ribbons. She says the fans “think it’s a sign they are having a girl.”

The fans plan to cut up boxes and the ribbons and keep them as souvenirs.

Amy Thompson, 14, who has been camping for eight days, said she knows her friends think she’s crazy, but she doesn’t care.

“Some people camp out for iPhones and concert tickets,” she said. “I do this.”

The duchess has said the baby was due to arrive in the second half of April, so attention has been focused on the Lindo Wing at the hospital in past days. As the end of the month draws near, at least one betting agency has suspended wagering on the notion that the new royal will be born on Wednesday — the anniversary of the couple’s wedding in 2011.